Golf-driver.



J. H. DWIGHT.

GOLF DRIVER. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 8, 1911- Patented May 12, 1914.

Jenn H. DWIGHT, or nns MOINES, IOWA.

eons-DRIVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 8, 1911. Serial No. 625,879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. DWIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Golf-Driver, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a golf-driver of the kind usually employed in making long drives, so constructed that by it's use a player may drive a ball comparatively long distances and may drive it in a straight line avoiding the curvature which is usually given to a ball by golf sticks of the kind ordinarily used; and further to provide a golf stick whereby the player may drive the ball in such a manner that it will be given only a slight horizontal elevation or he may drive it in such a manner as to give it a materially greater elevation, and in either instance the amount of elevation given the ball may be definitely determined by the player.

A further object is to provide a marker for golf sticks of the kind herein set forth, by which the player may readily and quickly sight the relative relation of the stick, the ball, and the distant point aimed at to thereby increase accuracy in driving golf balls in a straight line.

A further object is to provide a wooden head for golf sticks of this class so constructed that the'weight may be applied to the rear end of the head and said weight may be supported on the body portion of the head in such .a'manner that breakage of the head caused by striking the stick violently against the ground will be avoided.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device,

-whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a golf stick embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of same. Fig. 3 shows a front view of same, and Fig. 4 shows an end elevation of same. The dotted lines in said figure illustrate the position that the head assumes when it is desired to give a considerable degree of elevation to the ball. Referring to the accompanylng drawings, I have used the reference nu meral 10 to indicate the body of the golf stick head. At the front end thereof is the striking face 11 which is arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body. At one side of the head is the extension 12 to receive the handle hereinafter described, and at the rear of the head is a weight 13.

In order that the head may be made of wood and at the same time prevented from breaking, I have extended longitudinally through the central portion of the head a wooden block 14, the grain of which runs substantially longitudinally of the head and the grain of the wood which constitutes the head runs substantially longitudinally with relation to the extension 12 that receives the handle so that the two pieces of wood have their grains running in opposite directions. The weight 13 is fitted around the end of the block 1 1 to prevent it from splitting and is connected by a screw 15 with the block 14. The handle which is of the ordinary construction is indicated by the reference numeral 16 and is inserted in and fixed to the extension 12 and the joint is protected by means of the wrapping material 17.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the' drawings, it will be noted that I have arranged the handle with such relation to the head that a line drawn straight through the center of the handle will intersect the exact center of the striking face 11, and in order that the operator may readily and easily cause the striking face 11 to hit a ball at the center of the striking face, I have provided on the top of the head a heavy indicating line 18 which may be readily and easily viewed by the operator When placing the head adjacent to a ball preparatory to striking the ball.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that on the lower face of the head, I have provided a flat surface 19 near the striking face and on the rear surface 19 is another fiat surface 20 arranged at an acute angle-relative to the flat surface 19. When the flat surface 19 is resting on the ground the striking face will be substantially vertical and when the flat surface 20 is resting on the ground the upper end of the striking face will be rearwardly inclined to thereby tend to give a considerable degree of elevation to the ball.

Golf sticks are usually constructed with the handle intersecting the bod of the head at one side of a vertical, longitudinal, central line through the body of the head. I have discovered that in use, if the player Patented May 12, 1914.

. the'front and rear ends thereof, there will the handle to turn in the players hands.

in striking the ball, returns the stick to the i that the center of the striking face will be strikes a ball on the striking face of the. stick, at a point outside of a line where the handle intersects the body ofthe head, it will impart to the ball an outward curve; that is tosay, a curve in the direction tending to cause it to vary from a straight line in a direction away from the player, Whereas, if the ball is struck by the stick on the side of a line through the handle nearest the player, an in-curve will be imparted to it. Obviously, it is objectionable to give any curvature to the ball as much more accurate driving can be. attained by driving the ball in a perfectly straight line and, in order to do this, I have found that the ball must be struck at that point on the. striking face of the stick that is in line with a longitudinal, vertical, central linethrough the stick head at the point where the handle intersects the head. 7 In order therefore that the player may easily strike the ball at'the point where it will drive the ball straight, I so arrange the handle relative to the head in line with a longitudinal, central line through the head that is intersected by the handle. I have found also that, if the handle is inserted in the head midway between be a tendency for the head to turn inthe pla'yers hands because the front and rear ends are accurately balanced, whereby, by placing the handle near the front end of the head, the rear end is made heavier than the front and there will be less tendency for By placing a weight in the rear end of the head, the rear end is made materially heavier than the front end, and this tends to enable the player to more accurately hold the ls)t-i1c1k in the desired position for striking the It is customary for a golf player, before striking the ball, to first, rest the golf stick on the ground adjacent to the ball in order that he may bring the golf stick and the ball and the distant point aimed at accurately in line. Ordinarily this line is simply guessed ;at by the player. In my improved stick, I provide a sight line accurately placed on the longitudinal center of the top of the head, and hence the player may, at a glance, accurately place the stick so that its longitudinal center and the golf ball, and the distant point aimed at will be accurately in line. Therefore if the player,

vation. I

-its grain running substantially parallel with rosette position it assumed when he sighted it the ball will be accurately driven toward the distant point aimed at. Obviouslythis desirable-result cannot be successfully attained by the use of a golf stick having a rounded head for the reason that if the handle should be placed at difierent angles relative to the ground, the position of the sight line with relation to the vertical center of the head would be changed; Hence, the use'of a sight line is more especially advantageous in connection witha golf stick having a fiat facevat its bottom designed to rest on the ground for sighting purposes. I

By having the forward portion" of the head provided with a flatbottom face at right angles to the'strikin'g' face, and the rear portion, provided with a bottom face arranged. at a. different angle, I accomplish several desirable results: For instance, if,

when preparing to strike aball, the player causes the fiat face 19 to rest upon theground, then when making the stroke there is less liability of having the'st'ick violently strike the ground because 'the rear ,end of the bottom portion inclines upwardly from the ground, and furthermore, by having two fiatsurfaces at difierent angles, the player may first plan his stroke with either face resting upon the ground so that he may accurately give to the ball the desired ele- I claim as my invention:

An. improved golf stick, comprising a wooden body formed with a flat striking face and being tapered re'arwardly-from the striking face, the wood being arranged with the striking face,- a handle inserted in the body portion near the striking face and means for attaching a weigh t to the tapered rear end of the body portion, said means comprising a wooden plug in the center of the body portion, with its grain running, in a direct-ionsnbstantially at right angles to the face of the body. portion and having one end protruding rearwardly, a weight engaging the rear end of the body portion surrounding the protruding end of said plug to prevent it from splitting, and means for securing said weight to said plug.

' Des Moines, Iowa, May 1, 1911.

' JOHN DWIGHT. Witnesses M. WALLACE,

M. PETERSON. 

